Leviathan

July 19, 2015

Using Architecture to sell cars

I’m not entirely sure that I understand what the common thing is here, but I like the end effect. First up is an advert for Mercedes, one of the anonymous corporate silver sleek penis that roams our streets, filled with fat anonymous corporate suit-wearing middle-aged males. Probably also wearing an expensive watch. For reasons that may or may not have any logic, it appears to have been snapped outside the Barcelona Pavilion, of which the architect was, of course, a podgy German called Mies van der Rohe. Is that the link? “This changes everything” – is that a reference to the wave of modernity unleashed after 1928 when Mies launched this modest glass and stone pavilion? Or is that too subtle?

On the next image though, I’m a lot less sure what is happening. A lexus. At a beach. Next to a Crosson Clarke bach that doesn’t actually have road access, as far as I know. Yes, the bach is drop-dead gorgeous – and at completely the opposite edge of the architectural hemisphere to the Barcelona pavilion – but what does that have to do with a Lexus? Both images were in the same edition of Air NZ’s Kia Ora magazine earlier in the year – and I know I’m biased, but the Crosson-Clarke bach wins hands down for excitement I think. But:“You won’t see them everywhere. But you might hear the turbo coming.”

What’s that about then? Pointless tagline? Is the reader meant to know that this is a one-off bach? Do they know that the house can be (in theory) moved by tractor? Or are we meant to presume that the Lexus will tow it out of the way of a tsunami? Really nice bach, but – what is the link to Lexus?

What has happened to the car industry? Don’t tell me that they have forsaken their red-blooded Clarkson-male feckless disregard for logical thinking and gone all PC on us. In the old days, way back in the day (1970s), sex was used to sell cars. Here’s an advert for Dodge from back then:
And another couple, tastefully non tasteful:
What, pray tell, is the Eternal Triangle? The mound of venus perhaps? Or am I reading too much into that?
I’m fairly certain I’m not reading too much unintended into this one:
There. Not Dodgey at all ! Seems quite straightforward to me. And, in a different way, here is the Dodge advert for 2015 (Superbowl), still as macho as ever:

But I’m wondering – what other examples of New Zealand architecture have been used to sell cars? There was an advert for a car outside the Patterson maimai house once, I think. But there must be others. Racking my brain here….

m-d

21 - 07 - 15

Regarding the Lexus – Probably something to do with exclusivity and freedom, or the exclusivity of freedom, or, I don’t know…

m-d

21 - 07 - 15

Oh – and the eternal triangle is probably the love triangle – you know, the man, the car, and the ‘lady’, probably in that order.

Leviathan

21 - 07 - 15

Lexus – exclusivity and Freedom – I guess so, maybe, but its still a really dumb slogan. It would be better with just the first half: “You won’t see them everywhere.” Now that’s implying exclusivity – and one-off design. I’d buy one of them ! (the house, not the car…)

But really, what sort of wanker wants to be associated with people who drive turbos? Boy racers, 18 years old with their hats on backwards, going “vrit-ooomf” with the turbos. Does that really impress anyone? Is the buyer of a Lexus NX200T (cost $50k assumed) ever likely to be an 18 year old? Or more likely to be a fat old suburban dad? Who if he ever let his car make those silly turbo noises, would get smacked by his wife for being a tosser?

Leviathan

21 - 07 - 15

but m-d – how can the “eternal” triangle be a man, a woman, and a car? Can’t be very “eternal” if it has only been around for 120 years, can it? Or is the car a substitute for “the other woman” which probably has got a better chance of being in an “eternal” triangle….

Leviathan

21 - 07 - 15

aaaah yes: “a sexual or emotional relationship involving two women and one man or two men and one woman.”

Emotional then, presumably not sexual…

Leviathan

21 - 07 - 15

….moving on…!

starkive

22 - 07 - 15

Leaving aside the intriguing question of why marketers for high-price euro auto brands think their buyers will spend $60,000 or more based on a commercial played during a rugby test (or why architects keep on buying Citroens even though they are just Peugeots with bigger windows) I find myself wondering what is the desirable metropolis which features so heavily in those zippy city car ads. Impeccable glass towers, funky mews, sweeping bridges… Despite grafted on voice-overs, I don’t think it’s anywhere around here. Sometimes I think i can spot Melbourne, sometimes a bit of Brisbane. Or is it just Wellesley St with a lot of CGI?

Levi

22 - 07 - 15

Starkive – which particular adverts? Apart from the dearly departed Campbell Live (extended advert for Mazda) ads, which presumably were 100% produced in NZ (by Golly, wouldn’t it have been Not So Marvelous if we had filmed those little buggers overseas!) – but virtually everything else on NZ TV must surely be produced overseas… After all, we have no “Impeccable glass towers, funky mews, sweeping bridges” really.

John H

22 - 07 - 15

How about a NZ built Trekka in the middle of the La Maddalena Church in Venice? However it probably says more about NZ’s efforts to flog off that mountain of Anchor butter that looks as if it’s about to collapse on the poor vehicle…